Once again a new issue of the best anthology series on the stands arrives. Dark Horse Presents #28 gives us great stories from heavy hitters like David Lapham, Neal Adams and Steve Niles. The cover is a grim image of Angel from The Strain by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba. The somber picture will grab your attention.

We open with Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain: The Fall-The Silver Angel Chapter 1 written and drawn by David Lapham and colored by Lee Loughridge. Angel Guzman Hurtado is an old luchador trying to make a life in a world filled with vampires. It's a fun but sad story with greatly detailed art. I await the next two parts.

Next, we have Blood Chapter 9 written and drawn by Neal Adams with colors by Moose Baumann. We catch up with detective Jorge Maslow as he is on his way to lead a raid on a warehouse. The warehouse comes under attack before he can arrive. I’m a big fan of crime stories but the rough, unclean art doesn’t sit well with me.

Blood is followed by Edgar Allen Poe’s The Assignation adapted by Richard Corben. I’m a fan of Poe’s work and I think Corben does his tale justice. His rough art with thick lines is more fitting for a grim and tragic tale like this. I also enjoyed how this is a one and done.

Then there’s Alabaster: Boxcar Tale’s Chapter 9 written by Caitlin R. Kierman with art by Steve Lieber and colors by Rachelle Rosenberg. Anthropomorphised animals rarely click with me, but I love a good old fashioned hobo traveler story. This one starts with Bird spinning a tale about her and Maisie sitting in a field talking about resurrection. It’s a bright story with bad things on the horizon.

Next, we have Mrs. Plopworth’s Kitchen Chapter 1 by Patrick Alexander. This is a really simple story about a cooking show. Mrs. Plopworth is attempting to cook trout and her son is giving her a hard time. I won’t give away too much because this had me laughing and I’m sure it will have you laughing too.

We get to the halfway point with Trekker: The Train to Avalon Bay Chapter 5 written and drawn by Ron Randall and colored by Jeremy Colwell. This follows Mercy as she’s running through The Scar to rescue her girlfriend Molly from Trass. It’s a fun fantasy/sci-fi tale that I had never heard of. I'd be interested in a collection of Trekker.

After that, written by one of my favorite writers, Steve Niles, we have Nosferatu Wars Chapter 3 drawn by Menton3. Steve Niles always seems to find the perfect artists for his stories. His love of vampires shows here with Menton3’s work, which could easily be mistaken for Templesmith’s. This follows our lead vampire as he narrates how he first met and fell in love with Moria. I’ll read anything by Niles, first and foremost, but coupled with Menton3, this issue is killer.

Mr. Monster: Dark Stearn Chapter 2 follows, written, drawn and colored by Michael T. GIlbert with co-plotting by Janet Gilbert. The story is about Doc Stearn, who took a potion to relieve himself of his negative emotions but it took all those traits and split them into an evil half, Dark Stearn. It’s a bright, funny story about a clueless hero doctor and his wholly positive outlook on life.

Then we have another story written and drawn by David Lapham with colors by Lee Loughridge called Juice Squeezers: Squish Chapter 3. Lapham is a master of pacing and this tale about high schoolers battling bugs showcases just that. It’s a sweet young adventure story in the vein of The Goonies.

Next, we have Sabertooth Swordsman by Damon Gentry with art by Aaron Conley and colors by Sloane Leong. Sabertooth Swordsman is about the title character as he attempts to find his wife in a beautifully drawn, trippy world. It’s very reminiscent of Brandon Graham’s Prophet: action-packed with gorgeous art.

Last, but certainly not least, we have Mrs. Plopworth’s Kitchen Chapter 2 by Patrick Alexander. The second chapter brings us the conclusion as Mrs. Plopworth’s son finally gets the trout she was planning to cook in a funny twist.

Dark Horse Presents #28 is full of great works by A-list writers. Highlights include The Strain, Trekker and Nosferatu Wars. Weighing in at 84 pages and for only $7.99, you can’t get a better deal.

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About the Author - Tim Midura

Born in the frozen tundra of Massachusetts, Tim Midura has long possessed a love for comic books and records. After stealing the beard of Zeus and inventing the pizza bagel, a much more heavily tattooed and bearded Tim Midura has finally settled in San Diego. He's the world's first comics journalist who doesn't want to become a comics writer. Find him on twitter, facebook or by email.